The neighbor nearly wet himself in fright. He wanted to run outside to call for help, but Mother Liu's vicious glare froze him against the wall, too afraid to move.
He never even saw how Mother Liu approached. By the time he blinked again, her savage, hideous face was right before his eyes.
"Ying's mother, wh-what's going on?" The neighbor forced a smile uglier than tears.
"What do you mean, what's going on?" Mother Liu's face was cold. "Who are you calling a reanimated corpse?!"
"In broad daylight? A corpse coming back to life?!"
"Our Ying'er never died!"
The neighbor was already scared witless. Seeing Mother Liu's strange, hideous expression, he dared say nothing more. "Yes, yes, Ying'er isn't dead!"
"I'll go tell the clan chief the good news."
He backed away as he spoke, then turned and ran.
Father Liu looked over and asked, trembling, "Dear, why didn't you stop him? If the clan chief finds out..."
"So what if he finds out?!" Mother Liu spun around. "We can't keep this hidden anyway. We might as well make a huge uproar!"
"Let's see who dares touch my Ying'er!"
Father Liu gazed at his wife, who had changed so drastically overnight, too stunned to speak. Yet Liu Ying really was alive. What could bring greater joy than regaining what he had lost?
He no longer cared about anything, even if her skin felt bone-chillingly cold beneath his callused hands...
Standing nearby, Jian Ran watched everything, his gaze dropping to her slightly swollen belly.
He knew Liu Ying's life could not be prolonged for very long-a few days, or a few dozen.
Mother Liu had gone to such lengths, even draining herself, simply because she could not accept the sudden death. But the price of defying heaven was more than anyone